Manufacture of honeycomb for beehives



Nov. 17., 1925. 1,561,623

G. W. WATSON MANUFACTURE OF HQNEYCOMB FOR BEEHIVES Flled June 2.4, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 1.7, 1925- Filed June 24, 3,924.

4 Sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 17, 1925.

G. W. WATSON MANUFACTUREOF HONEYCOMB FOR BEEHIVES Filed June 24, 1,924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. W. WATSON MANUFACTURE OF HONEYCOMB FOR BEEHIVES Filed June 2 4, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 CII Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE WILLIAM WATSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF HONEYCOMB FOR BEEHIVES.

Application filed June 24, 1924. Serial No. 722,075.

0 aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VILLIAM Wra'rsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of Pall Mall, London, S. 7. 1., England, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Honeycomb for Beehives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production by mechanical means of wax honeycomb in place of the honeycomb made by bees, the object being to increase the yield of honey by relieving the bees of the necessity for makingor drawing out. their own combs before they can commence to collect and store up the honey. It is well known that the building of the combs bythe bees occupies a far longer period than that required by them to fill the combs when made, and any saving of this time will obviously lead to an increase in 'the yield.

For many years it has been the regular practice of most bee keepers to provide what is known as wax foundations on which the pattern of the honeycomb is embossed, and which the bees draw out or build up to form the deep cells in which the. honey is stored. In this way the honey yield has been considerably increased. Combs built on such foundations, after being filled with honey, usually have the honey extracted therefrom in a centrifugal extractor, and the comb is then put back in the hive to be refilled by the bees. Such combs may only be used in this way a limited number of times, `as they become damaged by extraction, and ultimately so darkened in colour and so unclean as to render them liable to be rejected by the bees. v

According to the invention a methodbf producing honeycomb is provided which consists in superimposing a number of embossed sheets of wax and in causing them mutually to adhere. The sheets of waX are embossed with a series of alternate ridges and depressions each of which forms the walls of one half of a complete cell and the ridges and depressions are caused to extend on either side of a central rib, those on one side of the rib being staggered and preferably inclined relatively to those on the opposite side, this inclination being such that though the ridges at opposite sides of the rib are in a plane common to all the ridges, they all converge upon the rib from opposite sides 'thereof towards one end of it, with an angle between each half-cell and therlb of a little less than 90 degrees. It 1s preferred, however, to form a number of parallel ribs on one sheet, to emboss the spaces between these ribs with alternate `ridges and depressions half hexagonal in cross sectionto superimpose such sheets to form a block and afterwards to cut the block into sections of appropriate size each constituting a. complete honeycomb.

The preferred method of carrying the invention into effect will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which also illustrate by way of example an apparatus for making honeycomb accord ing to the invention and in which Figure l is a perspective view `showing on an enlarged scale a single sheet of wax embossed according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a partial plan on a larger scale of a portion of the embossed sheet shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, but showing a number of the strips of material secured together to form a section of honeycomb,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan show ing a number of strips similar to that shown in Figure l united 'side by side and produced simultaneously as a strip in 'the man ner hereinafter described,

Figure 5 is ai view showing embossed sheets built up to form a complete honeycomb,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic longitudinal central section of an apparatus suitable for `carrying out the invention, showing a major portion of the same.

Figure 6a is a similar view showing the remaining portion of 'the apparatus,

Figure 7 is a plan of the major portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 6,

Figure 7a is a similar view of the remaining portion of the apparatus.

Referring rst to Figure l which shows a product according to the invention in its simplest form, a strip of wax 1 has formed thereon by pressing or rolling a rib 2 extending thereacross. On each side of this rib is formed a series of corrugations com prising ridges 3 with depressions 4t between them, and which are in staggered relationship on either side of the rib 2. The rib 2 provides in the first place strengthening means to prevent breaking of Cil the strip when the ridges and depressions and l are formed, and also enables end walls 5 to be termed closing the inner ends oi the depressions 1l. The sheets ot wax are corrugated at opposite sides oi the rib for the purpose et forming at each side of the rib identical halt-cells inclined or not, each ot which extends :trom a rib and has a closed end at the rib7 and each oiI which has its open side upon a face oit the sheet that is the reverse ace trom that on which is the open side each ot its two immediate neighbours in the same row ot ridges and depressions. VThe cells may be halt hexagons in cross section or ot any other suitable cross sectional form. nn example ot this lorinajtion is illustrated in Figure 2 in which the halt-cells are hexagonal halt-cells inclined to the rib, every halt-cell having two side walls y and e which respectively serve as a side 'tor the halt-cells which are its two immediate neighbours. .in the formation of a sheet such as is shown in Figure il, the halt-cells, except at the top and bottom margins of the sheet extend across the space between pairs olf ri. s. rlhe simple operation of forming tllis sneet produces haltcells ot double the length ot the haltcells illustrated in Figure i nd these long halt-cells extend across the space between the pairs oi' ribs, in Figure l. 'l'he length ot these long halt-cells is subsequently* halved by the severance into sections in the manner herein described ol a pile ot such sheets as are shown in Figure l. A number ot embossed sheets as shown in Figure l or sheets shown in Figure 4 are superimposed to the dimensions required 'tor the completed slab ot honeycomb7 the superimposition being carried out in such a manner that the fiat bases of the depressions of one sheet are in Contact with the flat ridges ot the sheet next below, this arrangement being shown in its completed torni iu Figure 5. A slight pressure exerted on the milt up sheets will cause their engaging surfaces mutually to adhere so that the ends walls 5 ot the depressions form on assembly a complete partition or midrib 'for Jthe whole comb. ln use a completed bloei; ot honeycomb formed as above described is turned to a position in which the hexagonal cells are inclined upwardly from the midrib.

The reason Vfor inclining the cells to the midrib is to facilitate the retention ol the honey in the cells and also to `give the honeycomb greater mechanical strength. This construction is that favored by the bees themselves and this fact alone a sui'iic' nt reason for adopting it.

For the purpose ot producing honeycomb on a commercial scale it is preferred to 'torni a number et embossed sheets simultaneouslgY as shown in Figure la ln this view the strip l formed with a number et parallel ribs 2 between which series of ridges and cepressions 3 and 4 are formed similar to those shown in Figures l, 2 and 3. A sheet embossed in the manner shown in Figure l is placed upon a similar sheet identical with it but displaced towards the righthand ot the sheet l so that the depressions in the top ot' the lower sheet register with the elevations in the upper sheet. 'l` he cour pound sheet thus formed is adapted to be cut along the broken lines (5 by means ot knives or a hot wire and the resulting strips are thereafter superimposed as alreadj7 described to :torni a complete honeycomb.

'lhe vmultiple ergibossed sheets shown in Figure l are prei'ierably termed and superin'iposed to torni a pile or bloeit by a machine which is shown diagrammatically in Figures G and and in which the commencingl material consisting of thin rolled wax strip preferably little less than 31E of an inch in thickness is mounted on a spindle 7 in the torni of a roll, from which the strip i dran"` between a pair ot rollers 8 and 9 mounted on spindles l0 and ll and formed on their surfaces with parallel circumi'erenti l grooves l2. rlhe strip l subsequently passes between rollers i3 and 11i mounted on spinoles l5 and i6 and divided into sections equal in number to the spaces between the grooves l2 on rollers S and Each section is terined with alternate ridges and depressions l'i" and 18 (Figure 7), (only a few oi which are shown) extending completely around the periphery o'j the roller and each oi: halt-hexagonal shape in cross section. The edges oia the ridges or teeth ot the roller sections are chamliered at their extremities and thus accommodate and further mould the ribs produced in the preceding rollers S and t). ',lhe ridges and depressions in adj acent sections are staggered and inclined relatively the one to the ther as shown for a purpose hereinafter described. The rollers 13 and le. are each circular matrices whose depressions and elevations respectively are eouiu'erparts the elevations and depressions ot the product Figure 2 aforesaid. From the rollers l3- and 'lll the embossed strip passes over a short 'Fixed platform l5) 'from which it passes onto an endless travelling band Q0 maintained at the requisite degree ot tension by an adjustable ocltey roller 2l mounted on a spindle 22 carried in adjustable bearings Q3. .fitter leaving the endless oand 2O the strip l passes over a second iixed platiiorm until its iorward end is stoppcd'by the vertical tace 25 ot an angle bracket the strip being supported at its sides adjacent its leading edge by narrow shelves or ledges QT movably mounted in the framework o'l' the machine but noinialljiv urged by gravity springs or other suitable means into the position to support the strip l. The angle bracket 2G is carried on a platform 29 upon which it is mounted so as to be adjustable in a longitudinal or transverse direction or in both, said platform being supported by a column 30, the lower end of which is attached to a float 31 disposed in a liquid bath 32. The framework 28 is provided with laterally projecting members 33 engaging guides 34 to ensure that the column shall move in a vertical direction only and that the platform 29 shall not tilt or rotate. As hereinafter explained the platform 29 is gradually depressed during the operation of the machine and to preventit rising again a device suoli as the pawl 35 engaging ratchet teeth 36 formed on the column 30 is provided. shown as pivotally mounted on a rod 35 which connects the side plates of the framework and is provided with an actuating spring 35h. Disposed above the band 20 are pivots 37 mounted in fixed parts of the framework 28 on which are `mounted levers 3S each having at one end a roller 39 in per manent contact with the periphery of cams 40 mounted on a spindle 41 and each having a projecting portion 42. .Pivotally con nected to the opposite end of the levers 3S are links 43 pivotally connected at their lower ends to a presser plate 44 disposed above the platform 29 and having one edge in contact with the vertical portion 25 of the angle bracket 26. The presser plate 44 is also provided with laterally projecting,r members 45 engaging guides 46 in the framework 28 to ensure that the under surface of the said plate remains horizontal and that its movement is restricted to a vertical direction only. Between the links 43 and the pivots 37 depend second links 47, pivotally connected at their lower ends to a hollow transverse member 4S to which is attached a knife blade 49 extending transversely across the entire width of the strip 1. The hollow transverse member 48 engages at its ends with slots 492L in the framework 28 so that. it can move in a vertical direction only and it is also provided with an inlet 50 and an outlet 51 so as to permit steam or other heating medium to circulate through it for the purpose of keeping the knife blade 49 hot. Alternatively, electrical means may be employed for the same purpose.

The mechanism above described is adapted to be continuously driven from a pulley .mounted on a shaft 53 and adapted to be driven by means of a belt from a suitable prime mover. Also mounted on the shaft is a gear 54 meshing with a larger gear wheel 55 mounted on a shaft 56 on which is also fixed a gear wheel of smaller diameter 57 The `gear wheel 57 is in mesh with a gear wheel 5S of equal diameter disposed vertically beneath it on a shaft 59. The two gears 57 and 58 drive the rollers 8, 9, 13 and 14 through the medium of gear wheels 60,

Said pawl .is here 61, (32 and G3 mounted on the spindles 10, 11, 15 ,and 16 respectively. Also mounted. on the spindle 15A so as to rotate with gear wheel 62 is a larger gear wheel G4 meshing with an intermediate pinion (35 on a shaft 66 which in turn drives a gear wheel 6T mounted on the spindle 41 which carries the cam 40, the projection 42 of which is adapted periodically to rock the lever 355 about its pivot 37. The endless band 2O is driven through the medium of a gear wheel 69 mounted on a spindle (i9 and meshing with the gear wheel (i3 and with a gear wheel TU secured to the spindle 71 of one of the belt pulleys T2.

The operation of the apparatus above de scribed is as follows The action of the machine gradually draws the wax strip 1 from the roll on the spindle i and causes it to be passed between the rollers S and 9 which form a number of the ribs 2 above and below the surface of the strip, these ribs serving subsequently to form the bases or midribs of the completed cells as above described. The strip thus treated passes between the rollers 13 and 14 which emboss the strip so that it comprises a number of series of alternate half hexagonal ridges and depressions mutually inclined as shown in Figure 4, in which the dat surfaces of the ridges are hatched for the sal-e of clearness. The relative arrangement of the rollers 8 and 9 and 13 and 14 is such in relation to the wax sheet that the ribs 2 enter between the chamfered ridges or teeth of the rollers 13 and 14 and are moulded thereby to the form shown at in Figure 1.

The strip embossed as above described is conducted by the endless band 20 over the base of the angle bracket 2G and the timing of the cams 40 is such that at the nioment when the forward end of the strip reaches the vertical portion 25 ofthe angle bracket` the projection 42 engages rollers 39 and rocks the levers 38 in a clock-wise direction (Figure about their pivot 37 so that the knife blade 49 is lowered and in (io-operation with the edge ofthe platform 24 severs the forward portion from the body of the strip 1, the descent of knife blade 49 being quickly followed by the descent of the presser plate 44 which moves the severed sheet out of the path of the following strip. t is preferred to maintain the knife blade het in order that it will more readily separate the strip. As the presser plate 44 descends it pushes ledges 2T out of its path which allows the severed sheet to drop and it is then pressed downwards into close contact with the pile of embossed sheets indicated at 73, resting on the base of the angle bracket 26. The pressure thus imparted by the presser plate besides causing' contacting surfaces of adjacent sheets to adhere also causes the angle bracket il O 2G, platform 29 and column 30 to be pressed downwards by an amount equal to the thickness of the embossed sheet, these elements being` caused to remain in their depressed position by the action ot the pawl This process is repeated until a block ot sheets is formed ot a height equal to the length et a honey-comb trame. To ensure the correct register oit the halt-cells olf contacting sheets of wax, andto prevent their nesting together instead ot forming cells, the knite e9 is arranged to descend on the sheet l at regular intervals such that the leading end ot every cut sheet is at a constant distance trom its following end, and each distance shall equal the sum ot any convenient odd number ot halt pitch distances; a pitch distance is the distance X igures l and 2) between the centre o'l" one elevated halt-cell and the centre of the next elevated halt-cell.

The float 3l which supports the platform 29 is always completely sul'imerged and its displacement is arranged to be equal to the weight of the platform 29, angle bracket 2G and supporting` column 30, in addition to the resistance found necessary to make the sheets 73 mutually adhere under the action of the presser plate 4e. As each freshly severed sheet is superimposed above those indicated at T3 its weight is counter-lnilanced by the displacement ot the column 3G so that a uniform resistance is always opposed to the action of the presser plate all.

The pile oit superimposed sheets 73 consists in a number ot sheets each embossed over its entire surface as shown in Figure 4. The etlect or" the superimposition of sheets thus formed is shown in Figures in which the under surfaces ot the depressed portions et' ach sheet are pressed into adherent relationship with the upper surfaces ot the ridges ot the sheet next below.

l/Vhen a number ot embossed sheets hare been superimposed to the dimensions required tor a complete block oi honeycomh, separation is effected by means oit' hot knives or hot wires along` the broken lines marked (3 in Figure l, the heat oit the knives or wires not only separating the block into the required number ot sections, but at the saine time welding the edges ot the wax sheets together so as to form homogeneous pieces ot honeycomb. it is preferable to make the sheet l slightly wider than the required number ot sections, and the extra width "ifi at each side is also cut oil' by knives or wires thus welding also the outside edges ot the ascissa two outer sections of honeycomb. A fragmentarycompleted section or" honeycomb is shown in Figure 5 in which the full lines indicate the hexagonal cell openings on one side of the comb and the broken lines indicate the positions of the cell openings on th-e remote side which are staggered in relation to the tlrst mentioned set.

Although vin the foregoing description cells of hexagonal shape have been mentioned, it will of course be obvious that cells ot any desired shape can be produced by the same method and means and the invention is not limited, theretore, to cells et hexagonal shape, although that shape is the one usually produced by bees. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the word wax wherever used herein is intended to inclu-de waxed paper and any other substance which is acceptable to bees that is suitable ttor the purpose ot' the invention.

I claim :4n i

l. ln a method ot making honeycomb, the steps ot forming a number of vsheets of vai; each with at least one continuous rib and with corrugated portions forming series ot' halt cells on either side of each ot said ribs and causing sai-d sheets to adhere in such relative positions aste produce completely iormed cells.

2. A. method et' making a honeycomb which comprises the `operation ot providing parallel ribs on asheetof'wax, corrugatim.g` portions of the sheet at opposite sides ot each yrib tor the purpose described, superposing a succession ot such sheets identical with one another in sucha manner that the sheets form a pile `in which their ribs coincide, effecting relatively displacementoetween each two superposed sheet along the line of their ribs through a distance such that the depressions on the top ot thelower sheet each register with the corresponding elevations in the upper sheet, thereafter causing the sheets to adhere to one another, and severing the pile ot supcrposed sheets into sectionsalong planes ot severance midway ot each pair ot ribs and parallel to them.

3. A method ot making honeycomb according to claim 2 including` the operation oi heating the` margins ot the sheets along their edges to cause the margins to unite at the places where they touch one another.

.In witness.whereot` l atllx` my signature.

GEORGE WILLIAM WATSON.

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